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Call yourself a historian. Learn from history. Putin wants the old Soviet Empire back. And he can do it with the weaklings in office in the west to oppose him.
Actually Russia had even more before 1917 when the Czar of All the Russias was forced to quit. Then Russia had territories like the Duchy of Finland, Warsaw was a Russian city. Britain and Russia split a place called Persia with Russia having special rights in what is now Northern Iran and the Trans-Siberian Railroad terminated in a Chinese treaty Port called Port Arthur now known as Dalian. The Russians considered Manchuria partly theirs and also had a protectorate over Outer Mongolia (Todays Mongolia).
Putin has a ways to go if he wants to recreate the Russia that Czar Nicholas II ruled as an Autocrat.
Finally , some Russians have said the Czar had no right toi sell another piece of the Empire called Alaska to the United States of America.
Which are not in our best interests. Who you rooting for?
That's a fair question, Chief.
I'm behind America all the way.
I'm behind the United States of America and the man who is the duly elected President of this nation. I'm behind the Commander In Chief, especially during a time of national challenge. As a citizen, I will continue to voice my opinions of what I think the nation should do concerning the developments in Ukraine and surrounding areas but I would never think of tearing down our leaders at this stage of developments.
I support the hand we have with the cards that have been dealt. When your fighter is in the ring, you support him during the fight. One doesn't root for the other guy.
Don't think for a minute that this is just a minor bump in the road. Most world conflicts start with a spark and slowly grow into a bonfire unless checked with astute diplomacy. No matter what, US Russia relationships will be reset and there most probably will be a resetting of the US, Euro relationship.
Fallout from this will affect the entire political and economic lattice that holds nations and alliances together.
I think The President and his advisers, in conjunction with our military will represent my nation well, using measured diplomacy and political/economic pressures to keep the pot from boiling over but yet provide leverage. That's what I'm hoping to see.
I'm behind the United States of America and the man who is the duly elected President of this nation. I'm behind the Commander In Chief, especially during a time of national challenge. As a citizen, I will continue to voice my opinions of what I think the nation should do concerning the developments in Ukraine and surrounding areas but I would never think of tearing down our leaders at this stage of developments.
I support the hand we have with the cards that have been dealt. When your fighter is in the ring, you support him during the fight. One doesn't root for the other guy.
Don't think for a minute that this is just a minor bump in the road. Most world conflicts start with a spark and slowly grow into a bonfire unless checked with astute diplomacy. No matter what, US Russia relationships will be reset and there most probably will be a resetting of the US, Euro relationship.
Fallout from this will affect the entire political and economic lattice that holds nations and alliances together.
I think The President and his advisers, in conjunction with our military will represent my nation well, using measured diplomacy and political/economic pressures to keep the pot from boiling over but yet provide leverage. That's what I'm hoping to see.
Who are you exactly rooting for, If I may ask?
Exactly why folks are worried about the idiot in chief right now and his sec of state. They don't appear in my eyes to take America's best interests to heart and instead worry about the "global" ramifications. There lies the problem. You of course know who I am "rooting" for. As of now the "economic pressures" are basically a joke and the pot appears to be boiling over............we have no leverage as the same fools have also been on record to reduce our nuclear presence in the region. So we are where we are now. We won't be going in guns blazing but everything we fought for back in the day is being taken back with this clown in the big seat..........just like in Afghan and Iraq.
Actually Russia had even more before 1917 when the Czar of All the Russias was forced to quit. Then Russia had territories like the Duchy of Finland, Warsaw was a Russian city. Britain and Russia split a place called Persia with Russia having special rights in what is now Northern Iran and the Trans-Siberian Railroad terminated in a Chinese treaty Port called Port Arthur now known as Dalian. The Russians considered Manchuria partly theirs and also had a protectorate over Outer Mongolia (Todays Mongolia).
Putin has a ways to go if he wants to recreate the Russia that Czar Nicholas II ruled as an Autocrat.
Finally , some Russians have said the Czar had no right toi sell another piece of the Empire called Alaska to the United States of America.
In 1917 Finland kicked those Ruskies out and declared independence.
You guys just can't help yourselves. You gotta take cheap shots at the president for any reason and no reason at all. "He's doing too much"......"he's not doing enough".........meanwhile you don't have the slightest clue what exactly is going on diplomatically, militarily and politically, concerning the situation. In fact none of you could give a tinker's damm about Ukraine or Crimea. You're only concerned how you can spin the situation against the president.
Taking Crimea is one thing. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are part of NATO. Attack one and you have instant war with 70% of Europe all over your ass. Attack one and you attack all. US and Obama have nothing to do with it. Europe will act with or without Obama and the US.
You guys just can't help yourselves. You gotta take cheap shots at the president for any reason and no reason at all. "He's doing too much"......"he's not doing enough".........meanwhile you don't have the slightest clue what exactly is going on diplomatically, militarily and politically, concerning the situation. In fact none of you could give a tinker's damm about Ukraine or Crimea. You're only concerned how you can spin the situation against the president.
Taking Crimea is one thing. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are part of NATO. Attack one and you have instant war with 70% of Europe all over your ass. Attack one and you attack all. US and Obama have nothing to do with it. Europe will act with or without Obama and the US.
Putin will take advantage of a weak west and exceptionally weak US president. He would be a fool if he didn't.
What cheap shots? This idiot has been a disaster continually unfolding since taking office. He has yet to get anything right.
Putin will take advantage of a weak west and exceptionally weak US president. He would be a fool if he didn't.
This. Looking at this from the 30,000 feet, like we are neutral in watching two people playing the 2014 version of Axis & Allies, the person playing Russia is just a way better gamer than the person playing the US, and they'd be foolish to not exploit that advantage on the next couple turns to solidify an already great starting position. Yes, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are technically EU and NATO. This is the point in the game where the aggressor can stay aggressive and push his weaker opponent back onto the ropes, or he can be passive and let his opponent gain strength while he does nothing.
The US and EU decided it would be polite and neighborly to disarm Europe to show the Russians how nice the world is. So you have welfare state bloat + military shrinkage happening consistently over the last 20 years, an opponent who cares more about internal polls than foreign action with a track record of making one weak after another.
Yeah, Putin should press, especially where he might gain economic leverage, like in Ida-Viru, Estonia and anywhere else close to his border that chips away at both EU finances and eastern frontier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-310
What cheap shots? This idiot has been a disaster continually unfolding since taking office. He has yet to get anything right.
Yep. Obama's foreign policy is "anything we say is hollow nonsense if you have even a marginal ability to inflict US casualties and I can't blame Bush somehow." With Putin, anything Obama does with real military force would get American/EU troops killed, and he cannot blame Crimea on Bush or the GOP House. As a result, he's paralyzed by his own policies. Putin knows this, and so does the rest of the world.
Now, here is the gamble for Vlad....does moving on an established EU/NATO town/county on the Russian border, or further push into Ukraine, get the EU fired up enough that they beg Obama to become a tough guy, and Obama sees this as a blameless way to finally grow a pair and toss a Chicago thug style beatdown Vlad's way? Even in Axis & Allies, the dice don't always go your way, and defending always has advantage over attacking. So it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
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